After another day had passed with still no sign of her, Jennifer Kesse was listed as officially missing, and the following day her abandoned car was located in the parking lot of the Huntington on the Green apartment complex at Americana and Texas, less than a mile from her residence, where residents claimed it had been parked there for several days. During an ensuing investigation, it was discovered that Kessler had used at least 18 different aliases and had lived in at least 33 cities in 14 different states. ORLANDO, Fla. The investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse more than 16 years ago has been given to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a cold case review. In fact, makeup on the counter and a wet shower seemed to indicate she'd just recently been there. The only evidence was surveillance footage obtained by Orlando Police that showed an unidentified person walking in the parking lot at the same time Jennifers car was left in the lot -- 12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2006. Orlando police said a person of interest was caught on surveillance video driving Kesses car, but was never found. He called her, but his call went to voicemail. Something was there.. Kesse was last seen at her Orlando condo near Mall at Millenia.. The Orlando Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Dateline. Kesse believes there is someone out there with information about his daughters disappearance. Joyce told Dateline that the hardest part is being in limbo. Jennifer Kesse disappearance: Family says it's 'close' to answers in 15 I called and I called and for the first time since Jenn was a teenager, it went straight to voicemail, Drew said. Its tedious work, its going to be long and hard but were at the point now where we can see where we can move ahead and we have moved ahead. And that is where the mystery starts.. There were a few times, Jenn told me, that the workers would just stop and stare at her, Joyce told Dateline. Two months prior to her disappearance, Jenn had purchased her first condo at Mosaic at Millenia Condominium in Orlando. Logan and several friends had stayed in Jenns condo while she was on vacation and one of his friends left his cell phone behind. Over the past 15 years, Orlando police and Kesses family have worked to exhaust every lead. Its all me -- my family. The Disappearance of Jennifer Kesse - Stories of the Unsolved It's been more than 15 years since she was last. Im forever grateful for that last conversation I had with Jenn, Joyce said. Authorities began to investigate the multiple construction workers and day laborers who worked in the area of Jenns apartment complex, which was only half-finished when she moved in two months prior to her disappearance. Investigators interviewed a coworker of Jennifers named Johnny Campos but concluded he was not guilty. Her family has been tirelessly searching for the Tampa Bay-area native for. Jennifer Kesse was 24-years-old when she was last seen in January 2006 after leaving her Orlando condo. The tiniest bone. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Wright was reassigned in 2010; and Florida formally declared Kesse dead in 2016, despite never finding her body. Police arrested Sybert on Wednesday, May 16 at an Interstate 95 rest area in St. Johns County, Florida. Cummings is still considered a missing person, and she hasnt been seen or heard from since her disappearance. If she knew she would be five minutes late for work, she would call them thats just who she is.. Jennifer Kesse: Found or Missing? Is Jennifer Kesse Alive or Dead? Kesses parents sued the Orlando Police Department for a copy of their daughters case file. 'Jennifer, we love you in a place where theres no space or time.'. This is going to be a long post. When they tried dialing her, they got her voicemail. He was so brokenhearted, Drew said. On January 24, the day of Jennifers disappearance, Campos didnt show up for work until noon. "We paid the price, in full, upfront," father Drew Kesse wrote. Theories abound as to what happened, with many suggesting she was killed by a male coworker whose advances she had spurned. Anyone who may know something is asked to call the familys tip line, 941-201-4009. It was alleged that at one point after their breakup he drank himself senseless for two weeks and was inconsolable.. During that presser they also announced that Jennifer Sybert was actually named Kimberly Kessler; she had been living under a fake name and using a fake Social Security number. Will we ever know what really happened? Missing: Jennifer Kesse | Timeline | Uncovered A Crucial Discovery Kesse Family Two days after Jennifer Kesse went missing, her black Chevy Malibu was found in another condo complex parking lot approximately 1 mile away from where she lived. Her family reported her disappearance to police, but they initially thought shed left on her own. Thomas Mates produces News 6 at 5:30 and the podcast Florida Foodie. Police attempted to interview many of the 100 or so construction workers but turned up no leads. From surveillance cameras, the authorities were able to see that someone, who was not Jennifer, had calmly driven her car and left it exactly where it was found at around noon on January 24. The day Jennifer's car was found, search crews looked through the wooded area near Huntington on the Green. Sybert was charged with grand theft auto for taking Cummings vehicle and booked in jail. The PI believes Kesse had left her condo and was locking the door when she was grabbed by the workers. Theres really nothing Jenn wouldnt tell us.. Her parents made the two-hour drive from their home to Jennifers condo, where they found signs that shed recently showered. . A police dog was able to trace a scent that led from the car back to Jennifers building, suggesting that the person who dropped off the car returned to the site of her abduction. Jennifer Kesse: New clues revealed nearly 15 years after Florida woman Jennifer Joyce Kesse seemed to have everything going for her. Difficult then, and still difficult now, 14 years later., I talked to her on the phone for the last time that day, Logan said. After this, they said they arent sure there is anything left they can do. There doesnt seem to be a clear motive in Kesses disappearance. One of Jenns friends found out she was pregnant just after Jenn vanished. VIDEO: Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE Jennifer Kesse: Investigation into Orlando womans disappearance turned over to FDLE. Its notable that despite the fact that an unknown mans sweater was found in her laundry hamper, her condo was never treated as a possible crime scene. They told us, Oh, shes an adult, she had a fight with her boyfriend, shell be back, and they left, Drew said. Kesse is one of three high-profile, unsolved missing person cases involving women who vanished from the Orlando area between 2006 and 2011. I overslept, which is pretty normal, Jenn always got up earlier than I did anyway, and so she would always call and wake me up or at least text me, Rob said. They believed shed been living out of her vehicle and parking at different locations around the area. Future news of events, Zoom movie marathons, books, and streaming updates will be delivered first to our newsletter readers. And how little of the window we have to find Jenn.. At a press conference, investigators said they had reason to believe Cummings was no longer alive, but they had not found her remains. Investigators found Kesses car at Huntington on the Green Condominiums, about a mile from her home. News 6 is Getting Results. Jennifer is loved by us, her family, so many friends as well as strangers around our country and the world, the family wrote. Clothes on her bed. For 14 years, Jenns family has not given up their search for her. But were doing the handwork now and were moving forward. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. They tried to contact Jenn, and around 11 a.m. when she still could not be reached, her employer -- who knew Jenns father -- decided to call her parents. There was no response. She was up for anything and willing to travel anywhere and try new things.. But nothing -- absolutely nothing -- was being done.. If we can just find that, it might be the key we need to move forward and get to the bottom of where Jenn is and what happened to her.. Her bed was unmade and there was a wet towel and water droplets still covering the shower. You never think something like this could ever happen to someone you love.. The only things missing were her car, purse, keys, and cell phone, and by all appearances it seemed as if she had stepped out for work as usual, so why hadnt anyone heard from her and why hadnt she shown up to work? Jennifer Joyce Kesse seemed to have everything going for her. Jennifer had repeatedly told her family that many of the workers repeatedly sexually harassed and catcalled her. The next day, when they still couldnt locate her, her mother called police. She Was Never Seen Again. Logan said he believes one of the workers from her apartment complex is to blame. It also means retesting evidence the Kesses say has not ever been retested. During that presser they also announced that Jennifer Sybert was actually named Kimberly Kessler; she had been living under a fake name and using a fake Social Security number. Something wasnt right. How Might Kessler Be Related to the Kesse Case?While it might at first seem like a stretch, I think its conceivable Kimberly Kessler could be tied to the Jennifer Kesse case. Inside, CBS says nothing seemed out-of-the-ordinary. The comments below have not been moderated, By Her 2004 Chevy Malibu was found two days later about a mile away from her condo. There are no signs of her whereabouts and only a grainy surveillance photo of an unidentifiable person of interest.. Help Find Missing Jennifer Kesse Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Mr Kesse said they family have been 'fighting through these files' for the last 22 months, receiving new files two weeks ago. We needed the files for answers, Logan said. Well get it. But when I see that baby -- now a teenager -- its a powerful and heart-wrenching reminder of how much time has passed. This has taken everything out of us, emotionally and financially, Drew Kesse said. Wright interviewed Chino inside a prison in 2009. A few days later, on January 26, 2006, came the first big break in the case. She was successful, attractive, in love, and well-liked by everyone who knew her, so it seemed that her life was going pretty well, but there was a dark road ahead of her, which would lead into a deeply strange vanishing that remains totally unsolved. The 24-year-old simply vanished and no one has ever been arrested.. Were truly starting to talk to the people we really need to talk to which leads us down many paths. That person is the key, Torretta said. A private investigation team for the family is on the case. Theres a lot of points in common, if not some details that could possibly be considered circumstantial evidence. Drew paused, softly laughed, remembering the one thing that he actually hadnt known about his daughter. Wright would uncover a new lead in the case when he learned from another resident at the condo that the man on the surveillance footage resembled a man she knew from the complex, a former maintenance worker there known simply as Chino, who had also just happened to have done some repairs in Jennifer's condo one week before she disappeared. Her case is still open, and she has not been seen or heard from since 2006. Sometimes it doesnt feel like 14 years has passed. Over the years, a GoFundMe page has raised more than $100,000 to help bring them closure. This post is really different from what I usually write up, and Im a little worried Ill get roasted for it, but Im eager to hear what you all think. The Kesse family organized volunteers to pass out fliers and spoke on local and national TV. Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida. The nightmare to not know. There would be other ominous clues, such as witnesses saying that they had seen the missing womans car driving erratically or that there had been strange men lurking about her condo before her disappearance, but none of this has led anywhere. In 2019, law enforcement divers searched Lake Fischer in unincorporated Orange County after the private eye identified a tip about somebody dumping a rolled-up carpet into the water several months after Kesse disappeared. Surveillance video showed somebody parking Kesse's car there, but the person's face was blocked by a fence post. The missing woman's parents, Joyce and Drew Kesse, have never given up searching for her and continually update their websiteFindjenniferkesse.comand Facebook page. Rob told Dateline that Jenn had expressed to him that she felt uncomfortable at times and wasnt thrilled living alone. Peter Van Sant and 48 HOURS investigate the disappearance of the 24-year-old. THE devastated family of missing Orlando woman Jennifer Kesse insists new hope has been breathed into the heartbreaking attempt to find her. The investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Kesse more than 16 years ago has been given to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for a cold case review. And made it as far as her car. The case centers on Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared on January 24, 2006, when she didn't show up for work. When they returned to Robs place in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday, January 22, 2006, Rob said neither of them were looking forward to getting back to reality. The Kesses have continued to doggedly search for new clues and have a Facebook page and GoFundMe page dedicated to finding answers, even as the police have distanced themselves from it all. and our Thats why this is so ridiculously difficult to deal with. She has never been located. I hold onto that memory, her voice, and her laugh. Kesses family members told Eyewitness News that in 2022, they hired a new team and said that they were working on several leads in her disappearance. Despite our 16-year commitment, there are some cases that remain difficult to solve. Now, on the 15th anniversary of her disappearance, her parents Joyce and Drew claim they are 'moving forward' with the case and have 'great hope' to solve it. If shes not alive, we just want some kind of proof that shes not with us anymore. But everything was fine.. ORLANDO, Fla. Seventeen years ago, Jennifer Kesse disappeared in Orlando in a high-profile case that made national news. Everything looked normal, with her make-up laid out on a counter and a t-shirt on the floor, and even the shower was still wet, showing that she had left that morning. She always said she felt safe with me, so I feel emasculated that I wasnt there to protect her, to save her.. But there was no evidence in that car, not any that was recorded in the police reports, private investigator Torretta told Dateline. One PI named Michael Torretta found evidence that a witness had seen an unidentified person dumping a rolled-up piece of carpet into a lake not far from where Jennifer lived, but when divers were brought in to search, they could find nothing of interest, another dead end. Our hearts continue to go out to the entire Kesse family, and our detectives will continue to investigate any new leads. But because they are retired, they dont have the power to make an arrest. Example video title will go here for this video. Here's the recap. Creepy Catalog is owned by the Thought and Expression Company, a small, independent media company. In an update on Jan. 20, Jennifer's dad said her loved ones won't stop trying to figure out what happened. No clues were ultimately found. Jennifer Kesse: Why Has This Missing-Persons Case Never Been Solved? In fact, she'd just moved. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Jennifer's car was missing, and her condo looked, according to family members, as if Jennifer had gotten ready and left for work. They Never Told Her Family. There were still puddles of water in the shower. Kessler had been known to work construction jobs. To me, 14 years ago with my Jenn seems like yesterday, Joyce said. The disappearance of Jennifer Kesse - CBS News Although a married man, other workers allege that Campos made it very clear that he desired a relationship with Jennifer but was rebuffed because not only did she have a boyfriend, she refused to date coworkers as a matter of policy. Did this phantom figure abduct Jennifer Kesse? - CBS News As the investigation began, Rob camped out on the couch at Jenns condo for weeks. Since our agreement to produce the documents in this matter, we have worked closely with their counsel and have turned over thousands of pages of documents and hours of recordings for their independent team to review and investigate. There's been a lot of discussion about how the construction company kept poor records of employees working at this site, so perhaps this isn't an answerable question. They generated thousands of leads and tips, but the ultimate tip has still not come through. When she went off to school at UCF, Logan visited on weekends just in time for the college parties. Her purse, keys, cell phone, and iPod, which family members said she always kept with her, were missing. I got married and had kids, I had to keep going.. 5. Tracy Ocasio was 27 years old when she disappeared in 2009. Biology, nature, and cryptozoology still remain Brent Swancers first intellectual loves. While Kessler had used stolen identities for years before her arrest, the identities she had used were reportedly taken from grave stones and were not from any other known living or missing people. Kesses family said FDLEs cold case unit will take over and essentially restart the investigation into the Orlando womans 2006 disappearance from the beginning and work with OPD. And I wont stop until someone is held accountable. The hardest part is being in limbo. On her wanted poster, Kessler is cited to be 53 55, the exact height range suggested for the person seen abandoning Kesses vehicle. Investigators believe that the person is between 53 and 55 tall and was wearing clothing that appeared to be similar to coveralls worn by painters or construction workers. When investigators reviewed the stores surveillance tapes, they saw a familiar face exit the vehicleit was Jennifer Sybert, the co-worker who was the last person to have seen Cummings.
